The Brazilian Senate approved diplomat Paulo Estivallet de Mesquita to head the Brazilian embassy in the People’s Republic of China, the Senate said in a statement released on Tuesday.

Estivallet de Mesquita, who will also be the new ambassador of Brazil in Mongolia, replaces ambassador Marcos Caramuru de Paiva.

Estivallet de Mesquita currently holds the position of undersecretary general for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, coordinating Brazilian action in Mercosur, the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).

Throughout his diplomatic career, he worked for the Brazilian embassy in Chile and was part of the Brazilian representations with the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Outgoing Ambassador Marcos Caramuru de Paiva was, among other duties, Consul General in Shanghai (2008-2011), Ambassador of Brazil to Malaysia (2004-2008), Chairman of the Financial Activities Control Council (2003), Deputy Minister for International Affairs of the Ministry of Finance (1996-2002) and Chief Executive of the World Bank (1993-1996).